PANIC ATTACKS WERE TEARING ME APART

Clive  Johnson, 39, Business-owner

I am the MD of my own successful business and I was shocked when I started having panic attacks. Normally, I was confident and self-assured and had no money worries.
I had been married for over 11 yrs and have one son who was 11yrs old at the time.

Then one day out of the blue I started having panic attacks. I went to my doctor and had a range of tests. When they all came back normal he suggested I seek some psychological help. I was referred to Alix Needham.

During my first consultation with Alix a lot came out. She is very open and easy to talk to. I disclosed that I was having an affair with my secretary – I hadn’t told anyone this before. I also told Alix that I had married my wife because she got pregnant and the relationship was in serious trouble. I used to be attracted to her, but she was now very frumpy and always nagging and trying to control me.

My secretary –who was a lot younger and sexier– was also putting a lot pressure on me. She wanted me to leave my wife and be with her. I just did not know what to do. I felt pulled in two different directions. I felt guilty about the affair but also deep down felt angry at being bullied by two women.

Through our sessions I realised that I was repressing my anger and trying to meet the needs of the two women. My mother had been a very controlling woman and this definitely had a lot to do with my situation.

With Alix’s help I became more able to communicate my frustrations with my wife and finished the relationship with my secretary. I feel so relieved and the panic attacks have disappeared.

Alix's Comments on Treating and Preventing Panic Attacks.

Panic attacks are a sudden intense period of intense anxiety accompanied by a state of fear and disorientation. In the case of Clive, his panic attacks occurred as a non- verbal response to the very difficult situation he had created in his life. Clive was being emotionally pulled in two different directions because of his relationship with two women. In spite of his outer success, deep inside he felt out of control and felt unsafe expressing his emotions. He was unable to make up his mind about his situation and felt angry and powerless inside. His panic attacks were an emotional release for him.

During our sessions, hypnotherapy was used to discover what was the cause of his panic attacks. During this process he was able to talk about how his mother had been very controlling when he was a child. His response to her had been to deny his feelings and do everything to try to please her. Now, later in life, he had created a situation where he was trying to please two women and still not expressing what he really felt.

Hypnotherapy helped Clive to make connections with his upbringing and past conditioning. He was able to identify for the first time the real reason for his panic attacks. He became able to articulate his feelings in a more honest way to the women in his life. Creative visualisation helped Clive to discover a new course of action. He once again felt back in control of his emotions and the panic attacks stopped occurring.